A Life of Hiding
by Leta McGotor
Summary: Remembering one of the last nights with her lover Minerva McGonagall tries to answer the many questions and makes her mind up to find the love of her heart. What will she do with him? MMSS
1. The last night?

A Life of Hiding

Author: Leta McGotor

Okay, this story is a reaction of HBP. I know I should finish 'I need a mother' and 'His Daughter' first and I'm sure I will regret it, that I haven't done it, before starting with a new one but to write this is like a force. I hope you enjoy what my head thought up.

Disclaimer: I own nothing because JKR does and I'm not her.

* * *

Chapter 1 The last Night between my heart and me?

It was night in and around Hogwarts. Most students had gone home because of their Christmas holidays and only a few had stayed. Although there were barely students around the whole staff had stayed at the school because of the near danger. Now it was quiet in the castle. The students had gone to bed because it was far beyond curfew. A few teachers patrolled the corridors looking for things which are not supposed to be there. Other teachers had their free night. They had patrolled the evenings before and had now a few nights to sleep.

One of these teachers were for example Minerva McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House. She lay in her bed but didn't sleep but turned around and around, stood up, layed down and turned around again. She had slept barely one hour and she wondered why sleep wasn't to come now to her. She felt that her whole body was exhausted of the day, of the whole term lying beyond. Nevertheless she sat upright in her bed and stared at the ceiling.

She sighed. In her despair to get some needed sleep she had tried all in the last hour but nothing seemed to help. First she tried it with some fresh air, then she had started to count sheep and not to forget she had remembered Albus' advice to drink hot cocoa, but all was in vain. She sighed again and turned around still far away from her sleep.

"What are you doing there?", asked a harsh voice in her ear. "Do you want to modify your bed?"

"No, I can't sleep.", she answered grumpily.

"I cannot sleep, too, because there is someone turning and turning around in her bed beside me." He said staring at her back while she refused to turn round and face him.

"If you have a problem with that you can leave and sleep in your own bed." Minerva answered more and more grumpy. The man next to her sighed but said nothing. They lay in comfortable silence and Minerva thought that he must have fallen asleep before he started to speak again.

"Minerva, you know I love you." She wrinkled her forehead and turned around to face him.

"What are you talking about?" She asked with curiousity and - what was it? – a little bit fear in her voice.

"I have said that you know I love you. I'll always love you, no matter what happens." She gaped at him.

"And, Severus, you know that I love you, too, but I don't understand - not that I'm not enjoying hearing that - but I wonder why you say it with that tone in your voice. Now and with that look on your face." In fact his face was stern and like a mask. Never did he have such an expression when saying her that he loved her. And his voice seemed far, far away like an old memory of words spoken once with passion and now as a simple repetition.

"Minerva,…maybe there will be a time when I can't be here, by your side. There will be a time, when you'll hate me for what I have done."

"Severus, never, never will I be able to hate you. You can do nothing to make me hate you, nothing. But what are talking about" What do you mean with 'there will be a time'?"

"I can't, mustn't explain it, Minerva. All I can say is that it will come sure enough."

He turned towards her, his dark eyes meeting her green ones. Slowly he touched her cheek and stroke it, slowly and carefully as if she would break by a touch of him. She took his hand in hers and kissed it, her eyes still locked with the ones of her lover.

"Never can you do something horrible enough that I hate you, never."

"And what if I do?" Closing her eyes she shook her head and sighed.

"Severus, I only tell you this for only this one time and never again. My love is strong, stronger that everything I knew. This love has already seen bad days as well as good ones and it is still here, isn't it? There can't be something stronger that my, stronger that our love. That is impossible. Do you understand? Impossible. If you want I do the Unbreakable Vow that I will always love you, no matter what has happened." By her metioning the Unbreakable Vow his face lost all colour but Minerva didn't see it because of the darkness in the room she only could make out the outlines of his face. He swallowed.

"Minerva, don't say something like that. I can't explain it to you but there are things… you can't understand it now, but you'll see, Minerva. Sometimes I hate myself for it and ask me if I had another choice. Maybe I had one but I decided to go this way. I'm sorry, Minerva." He said sadly looking at her as if he would see her for the last time. She smiled.

"I don't know what is going on with you but like you have said I will see. But now let us speak about other thinks, for example, how I get some sleep this night." Her smile vanished at the still sad look on his face. A single tear left his eyes but he made no attempt to wipe it away. The first followed a second. Worried Minerva stared at the man she loved about all other.

"Severus?"

She pulled him in a comfortable embrace trying to calm him. Severusstarted crying in her arms. Never had he cried. Surely as a very little child but that was long ago. He wanted to stop but noticed that he can't. He knew after it his beloved Minerva would never hold him like that again.

* * *

Okay, I know this chapter is a little bit short but I promise that the others are longer. Of course you encourage me to write more if you click on the small button on the left side and say me what is good, what is bad and what I have to improve. 


	2. Moving Heaven and Hell

A Life of Hiding

Author: Leta McGotor

Disclaimer: I own nothing because JKR does and I'm not her.

Chapter 2 Moving Heaven and Hell

The hours came and went but the lonely figure sitting in the office in the dungeons didn't stir. It seemed that the person was waiting for something and to be honest that was exactly the case. The figure stared at the door as if awaiting that someone would open it and enter the room. But the door remained closed. If you had looked in this very office a few hours ago you would have found the figure rummaging in the shelves, in the drawers of the desk. You would have found this person kneeling on the floor looking for only one sign. All books were looked through, all walls and furniture were felt. An inspiration, a hint was needed, only one.

The figure had sat there for hours. In the morning was the funeral of Albus Dumbledore. Many had cried, had felt helpless, defenceless without the man with the famous twinkle in his blue eyes. Many had been there, friends, family, students, teacher, people from the ministry and many more. They all wanted to say goodbye, to wosh their last farewell.

The Ministry was looking for his murderer, Severus Snape, as well as the lonely figure still sitting in his office, Minerva McGonagall, not Deputy Headmistress anymore, but Headmistress now of a school with maybe no future? She didn't know. She diden't want that the shool was to be closed as well as she didn't want to belive, what was sure. She simply couldn't believe that Severus Snape, her Severus, was pure evil and that he was nothing more as a good actor for Albus Dumbledore had trusted him, she had trusted him.

She heard the bell far, far away, midnight. It was dark in the room, no light but the small candle standing in the middle of the table. Minerva sighed. There had to be something, which would help her to find him. But she had looked all and everywhere – nothing. Only one little hint.

_He is an evil murderer. He has killed Albus Dumbledore without a second look, the man who had trusted him, who had given him a second chance. Why do you want to look for evidence for his innocence? You know you won't find anything because he is not innocent but a murderer, Minerva, a murderer without a heart. _That was what they had said to her as she had the idea to look for details, for evidence. _You want to protect a murderer?_ They had looked at her as if she wasn't right in her mind, they had talked behind her back, but Minerva knew that he was innocent. He was not a murderer withou a heart. He had a heart, he had loved her and she had loved him. Is such a deep love, they both had felt, possible without a heart?. But why…?

She looked around for the uncoutableth time but all what she saw, were things she had seen before, looked through before. She looked back at the small object lying in her lap. It was a photography, made by a muggle camera. She and Severus were to be seen. They were happy at that time – two, no, nearly three years ago. She rembered clearly that day, the last of the summer holidays before the start of next term and of The Triwizard Tournament. He had taken her to a village celebration and afterwards to London to a small restaurant, where he had made his proposal kneeling in front of her with a man making music and one red rose in his hands. He wanted to marry her in the next summer holidays. She had dreamed about their wedding nearly every night since that day until, yes, until now. They weren't able to marry because of the return of Lord Voldemort. One year later she was all but in a healthy situation because of the four stunners and now, all was left was an empty office and the picture made at the village celebration – and, she felt for it, the ring hanging at the silver chain around her neck.

Minerva got to her feet. There had to be something here, wich would show her the right direction, any direction. Minerva felt the tears in her eyes again. She had cried the last days, every time she was alone, and the whole nights, for her she had lost both: Her best friend for years and years and the man she loved – and probably the happiness in her life.

"Severus." She cried sinking back into the chair. "Why?… Why are you… punishing me?… I love you…always." Tears poured down her face heavier that all the other times for now she was crying over her broken heart. With the time Minerva became quieter and quieter until she fell asleep, still with the rivers of tears on her face and still with the thought that she would move heaven and hell to find him, even if it would cost her life.

* * *

Far, far away another lonely figure stood at the window of a small cottage looking out at the grey surroundings and the rain. Brought the rain cold with it or was it because he felt cold inside of him? He had stood there for hours now, not moving an inch, not turning around as one of the many cats living here and in the near village chased another one. He sighed. Only one year ago he was happy with all what he had – a good job, a comfortable home and, what was most important for him – someone he loved and who loved him back. 

His heart ached with only the thought about her. He missed her already and the knowledge that he wasn't allowed to see her again let his heart shatter in thousand pieces and more. Only one year ago.

It was his fault that all didn't work after what he had planned. His fault that one of his few friends, his employer and the man, who trusted him – Albus Dumbledore – was dead. It was his fault that the only woman he ever truly loved hated him for what he had done. Again his fault. If it all had only worked as he had planned it. But that never happened – his fault again and again.

Now he was dammed to have a life of hiding. Never should somebody find him, never. He would move heaven and hell that nobody would find him even if one of them would die at the attempt.

tbc

* * *

Of course you encourage me to write more if you click on the small button on the left side and say me what is good, what is bad and what I have to improve. And not to forget a big hug and thank-you to all who have read and especially to **kate, Digital Damita, Morgana-Alex and Rhiannon Wt** for reviewing. 


	3. Reasons and Attempts

A Life of Hiding

Author: Leta McGotor

Disclaimer: I own nothing because JKR does and I'm not her.

Chapter 3

It was dark outside but not because it was really late but a really early morning. The sun hadn't risen yet and the birds were sleeping for they didn't sing nor were flying around. Only one lonely figure made her way along the hills and the dark forest. Turning around an edge she saw the sky shined red announcing the upcoming day. But the thoughts of the person were not by the upcoming day but by the people, getting a knock on the door at that early hour.

Nearly half an hour later Minerva McGonagall was standing in front of a small cottage, which seemed very old and broken. The flowers had no life in them and the small way as well as the windows needed desperatly to see a cleaning spell. In the moment this all didn't matter to Minerva, she only hoped that the people, or better the man, inside of the cottage would give her some information. She only had this one question she simply had to know the answer for.

Minerva knocked but there was no reaction. After several minutes she knocked again, louder this time in the hope, that the owner rather hadn't heard her knock instead of ignoring it. She waited patiently and sometimes she knocked again, but after one hour of waiting she gave up hope and turned around. She would try it again later this day and hopefully then she would receive her answers.

Lost in her thoughts she strode through the forest not looking back or around her, not noticing the singing birds now or the few animals looking for their meals. Her thoughts were far, far away by the man she so desperately wanted to see again, wanted to feel again, wanted to hold him and to be hold by him. Therefore she never saw the man, clothed in green and brown to cover himself, following her with a gun in his hands.

On and on she walked through the forest and on and on she was followed by the man with the dirty grey-black hair and the long nose. Then suddenly she reached a clearing and a precipice. Minerva attempted to walk around the dark hole but in the moment she reached the edge of it, she felt a hand in her back pushing her forwards to the black precipice.

* * *

Severus Snape was kneeling at a small river, somewhere in the mountains he used to hide. Nobody would find him here and that was the one thing he wanted. He sighed and took the bowl, filled with fresh water. On his way back to the summe cottage of his parents at a time they had been in love at the beginning of their marriage, he looked around. The birds were singing and all was glowing because of the bright shining sun. But Severus wasn't interested in his surroundings, his thoughts used to wander back to the night he became the murderer of Albus Dumbledore. 

It wasn't all clear to him, more a dark blur. The one thing he really saw clear, every day and night was the pleading look in the eyes of his oponent. The most people would think he pleaded for his life, but Severus knew better. The powerful wizard had pleaded that he, Severus, did his job, that he murdered him. A smile crossed Severus' features, not a happy but a sad one. Most people would think, that that wasn't the truth, that this idea was completely insane. But to be exact, it was nothing more than the real truth.

Severus placed the bowl on the small table in the cottage. He had no problems with living here for his parents had never taken the dishes and clothes away from here. All was ready and waiting for someone, who would live there, someone like Severus. His parents used to come here, when they hadn't to work. They always enjoyed it. This was, what his mother had told him. But then they started arguing more and more until the argumentation was always there, no matter what they were doing. Severus remembered often sitting in the corner of his rooms or in the broom closet and hearing his parents yelling at each other. But all that was over now. His mother had died years and years ago and his father was living in the cottage they used to call their home, far, far away from this one. Never had he visited his father, and he never would. This was the one thing Severus knew for sure.

But thinking about it, he thought, too, that he knew other things for sure as well. But he had been mistaken, what led o his situation now: He was a wanted man. He looked at the picture lying on the table – the only thing he had been able to rescue. He longed for the woman, who was standing beside him in this picture, the woman he loved, but probably would never see again. He sighed. Another one, he thought he knew. He had wanted to marry her but now he was alone and nothing could change that.

With the day he did the Unbreakable Vow he knew, that he would break her heart, either because he was the murderer of her best friend or because he had died for not fulfilling the vow. But it wasn't the will of Albus Dumbledore that things went the last way. Severus remembered clearly the day the Headmaster had told him to come to his office. There he had said, that he knew of the Unbreakable Vow he had sworn to Narcissa Malfoy and had explained his plan to him while they were going outside. Severus didn't want to do what the older man had told him and had begun to argue until Professor Dumbledore had given the order. Severus had had no other choice but he wished that he had had the strenght for further argumentations, but he hadn't.

Severus looked out of the window in the small kitchen with his thoughts by the woman of his heart. He hadn't told her what Dumbledore wanted him to do. He knew she wouldn't tolerate it. He wondered what she thought about him now. Had she the same opinion like all the others or believed she that there had to be something wrong, a mistake in the system?

Severus looked at the birds, flying and singing in their freedom. Why was he doomed to be a prisoner of his own life? Why can't he be so free like the birds? He turned away from the window, looking at the bowl of water. This all reminded him on happier days, days with Minerva. But in the moment the memories were more a torture than a gift. He hoped that at least Minerva would be as free as a bird.

* * *

Do you tell me what is right and what I have to improve? It isn't that difficult, only use the small button on the left side. I really like reading my reviews, so please, tell me what you think, yes?

A big thank-you to all who have read the other chapter.


	4. Unwanted Situations

A Life of Hiding

Author: Leta McGotor

Disclaimer: I own nothing because JKR does and I'm not her.

Chapter 4

Minerva began to stumble and to lose her balance. Nearer and nearer the dark nothing came in front of her and she had slid into the precipice, when there hadn't been the strong arm, that hold her only inches from it away. Minerva was too shocked to show any reaction, therefore she just layed there, at the edge of the precipice and looked down. Suddenly she felt how she was turned around and stared into the dirty face of a man with dark brown eyes. His features were in a strange way familiar to her, but she didn't know on whom they remided her.

Minerva looked closely at the man standing above her. His black hair was as dirty as the rest of his whole body and his clothes. Prominet was the long nose above his grim looking mouth. He wore old dirty and at some places torn clothes in brown and green – or did they have another colour, when they were clean? His shoes were more than only used, it seemed as if they were older than their owner and looked exact this way. On top of his head there was an old hut – if you could call it that. This one, too, was torn apart and you had to have much fantasy to recognize it as a hut. He looked with a grim expression at her and scrutinized Minerva from head to toe.

"You are not from here" The man said while he was examining her clothes with a stick. "Your clothes are good, I could sell them on the market. What do you want? Speak, woman!"

"I… I have been loocking for someone. But he was not…"

"Who?"

"Behind those trees there. I had hoped to find Mr. Snape." She pointed at the trees behind him.

"Who?"

"Mr. Sn…"

"No, who are you?"

My name is Minerva McGonagall and I…"

"What do you want from him?"

"I would like to speak with him personally about this matter." Minerva answered looking the man directly in the eyes.

"Tell or you are going to die. Are you from one of the Ministries?"

"From one of the…? No, I'm a teacher but I…"

"Which school?"

"I'm not sure whether you know the school, sir." She added the 'sir' carefully to look how he would react.

"Hogwarts?" Minerva was surprised. He knew from the school. She hadn't expected this.

"How do you…"

"I'm the one you are looking for, so tell me what do you want from me." Now it was Minerva's turn to scruntinize him.

"You are Severus' father?"

"You are here becaue of my son, I guess?"

"Yes, look. He… he is said to have murdered someone but I believe he is innocent and therefore I would like to speak with him. I think he is in a cottage at the moment. Of course I'm not sure. I would like you to give me the location of this summer cottage of yours, so I can try to find him there." She said hopefully that he would have at least a bit sympathy for his son. Severus never spoke well about his father.

"He has murdered someone? Who? I hope it is someone who deserved nothing better."

"He is said to have murdered Albus Dumbledore, the… the Headmaster of Hogwarts."

"Then I will not help you. I didn't like that school and when he has murdered that fool, then he has for the first time in his life done something right."

"No, wait. They… they… are going to kill him, when they find him. You don't want to see your only son to be killed although he has done nothing wrong, right?"

"Doesn't matter."

"But… but… please." Minerva pleaded and looked up to the man, who had the possebility to change all and nothing.

"What's your problem, woman? I don't care and why should you? You are from the Ministry and thought I would give you your needed information, right?"

"No, I…"

"You will get it. Like I said I don't care but it will be your own problem to get out of this forst alive. You see my gun here? I'm going to aim for all people, who think, they can disturb me. I thought the Ministry would be not that stupid. If I were you, I would start running." While he spoke he had drawn a map on the ground before him to show her, where she would find the cottage, but now he stood again and aimed his gun at her. Minerva looked shortly at the map before she jumped to her feet, transfigured into her catform and ran for her life. She heard the explosion of the gun but she turned around a big tree and continued running. Then another explosion and another. Then suddenly Minerva saw the edge of the forest and ran for it. In this precise moment she heard the forth explosion and all around her went black.

* * *

Severus was laying on his bed in the summer cottage of his parents and stared at the ceiling. For hours he had done this without moving an inch. He had tried to sleep several times but everytime he closed his eyes, he was met by the night, that changed his life. He heard the voice of Albus Dumbledore in his head, who had had told him to do it. 

_Flashback:_

"_You must do it, Severus. I don't want you to die at my place. The Unbreakable Vow will kill you if you doesn't fulfill it. You are far too young to die, your whole life lies in front of you."_

"_But Albus. You are too worthy to die. What is with the school, with the Order, with… with all, who believe on you? What will happen to them?"_

"_Severus, I have thought about it all long enough. They will make it, I know it, but they will need you, not me."_

"_That's ridiculous. Your are the greatest wizard of all times, you and not me. I can't"_

"_Severus, believe me that this way is the best to all of us. Trust me. Do you trust me, Severus?"_

"_Of course I do. But…"_

"_No, Severus, no 'but's. I want you to have a life, a real life. After all what happened you are belonging to those, who really deserve one. And besides that all I want to know is that Minerva is happy, too." He answered with a twinkle in his eyes._

_End Flashback_

Severus turned around in his bed again. There had to be a time when his body had to sleep and he hoped that this time was soon.

* * *

Several hours later Minerva opened her eyes again. She didn't know where she was. All around her looked green and brown and all looked so strange. She tried to move her legs but noticed that one was bleeding badly and that she was still in her catform. She guessed that this one saved her life for the man with the gun was nowhere to be seen and she layed under a thick bush of something she didn't know. 

Carefully she transfigured herself back. She was right. Her left leg was bleeding and she had several smaller wounds at her arms, but she was alive. Slowly she tried to stand up, although the pain nearly killed her. She let herself sink against a nearby tree. What should she do now? She closed her eyes and tried to think of her possebilities. Suddenly she opened them again. She knew it, the map Severus' father had drawn. She had to react as fast as possible or she would forget the lines and points of it. She knew the area and was sure that she – although her leg was hurting – would reach the cottage within the next hour.

Slowly she pulled herself to her feet again. Then she transfigured a small branch into a walking stick and limped out of the forest, her destintion clearly in her mind.

* * *

A really big thank-you to **Digital Damita and kate** for your reviews. Maybe I've said it about a thousand times or so but here again: I love to read my reviews, so I hope I will get a few for this chapter, too.

**nancy in chicago:** No my mother tongue is German. Thank you for your advice with the beta. First I will try with a friend of mine and should that not work I am going to advertise for one. Although I don't know how I have to do it. Shall I wrote under one chapter that I'm looking for a beta?


	5. Bonnie and Clyde

A Life of Hiding

Author: Leta McGotor

Disclaimer: I own nothing because JKR does and I'm not her.

Chapter 5

Severus came hurried into the cottage. He was soaked from head to toe and he felt as if even his bones were soaked. It was raining badly outside and he had been nearly one mile away when it had started. Fast he had disapperated but in this terrain you couldn't get nearer to the cottage than half a mile. Therefore he had to walk or run the remaining of the way, up the stony hill. Surely it was easy for him, because he had gone this way for years and years now, but the wet stones were slippery and a few times he had lost balance and fell into the mud. So you can imagine how he looked like when he entered the living area of the cottage.

Rescued from the rain Severus used a cleaning spell on his clothes and dried them simultaneous. Afterwards he let himself fell into an old armchair. Which was standing in front of the fire place. Surely it was summer but here in the hills it was often colder than somewhere else and the rain didn't help to warm up the day. Therfore there was a roaring fire, which served as a light source, too. Absent-minded Severus stared into the flames. How he had loved it to sit at the fire with Minerva and to play chess. They allways had played in her rooms for Minerva thought it definatedly too cold in his chambers, because Severus refused to use the fire place.

* * *

Minerva was sitting under a tree and waited that the rain would calm down. She was already soaked with water and surely would hatch a bad cold if she stayed this way. Minerva looked at the sky. Dark clouds were to be seen all over it and nowhere seemed to be an end of that grey mass. She sighed and hoped that the rest of the way would not become too difficult because her leg hurt badly although there was no blood anymore for the rain had it washed away. 

Minerva had apparated to this point, the nearest she could reach to the cottage. She knew that it was difficult to apparate somewhere further up the hill for there were many ravines and precipices, not to count the uncountable stones, which seemed only to be there to prevent the hill from conquerer. In the last half an hour she had cursed those stones and the hill uncountable times. To her dismay the hill didn't do her the favour to simply become flat land and she had to recognize that there was no other way to the cottage than to climb up the stones.

Her leg hurt again as if it wanted to remember her that it was not an eays task. Minerva looked again at the sky but nothing had changed and it continued to rain. Had it become stronger? Minerva shook her haed. It was useless to sit here and wait for a sunny day, she reminded herself. Therfore she pulled herself to her feet (her leg hurt more badly at this movement), sized her transfigured walking stick and started making her way up the hill.

* * *

The hours came and went while Severus was sitting in the armchair and stared at the flames. When the magical clock of his parents told him that it was time to prepare dinner, Severus stood up and went to one of the windows. The rain had become less and less and now it had stopped comletely. He sighed. It was time for him to make his evening route around the cottage. He sized his cloak and left the small house. 

On his way he watched a few animals, which were coming out of their hidings from the rain or from the day, while others went to sleep. He had watched this progress every evening now and a bit of him found it amazing that the animals didn't need a clock to know, when it was time for them. Slowly Severus made his way down the hill, looking and listening to all noises around him. The stones were slippery but he managed it not to lose his balance again.

Suddenly a prickle run down his back and he felt uncomfortable. He was sure that he had heard something and he knew that this thing, whatever it might be, was not an animal of this hill and forest around him. What was it? Somebody from the Dark Lord, who is looking for him? Or people from the Ministry also looking for him? The noise stopped and all around him was quiet.

Slowly Severus took his wand out. Attacking was the best defence. Carefully he went to the group of trees where he had heard the noise coming from. He stopped and stood still. He could sense the presence of someone behind those trees. Suddenly Severus made his point. He jumped forward, sized the person by the arm and pushed him or her to the ground with his wand at the ready. Nobody could knew what was coming next. When he looked in the face of the person he was shocked. From under the mud he had thrown this person into, his beloved Minerva stared back at him.

"Minerva?", he gaped at her. She was the last one he had awaited, but nevertheless she was here. "How…? And what…?" Severus stopped. Minerva had twisted her face in pain for he touched her hurt leg. Severus pushed himself to his feet and looked down at Minerva and at the red line along her leg. He bent down and observed it.

"What happened? Tell me."

"Nothing. I… it was an accident." She whispered through gritted teeth.

"Accident?" He looked up and saw in her face. He could see the lines of exhaustion, her tired eyes, even the lines of her tears she had cried. All because of him? Slowly he lifted her up and carried her up the last part of the hill until he reached the small cottage. Carefully he put her down on the bed and sat next to her.

"Why are you here, Minerva? What brought you here?"

"What do you think brought me here? The weather, the nature? Can't you see that I'm here because of you?"

"Do you want to kill me, to give me to the Ministry for killing Albus?"

"No."

"No? Why not? I'm a murderer, the murderer of your best friend. What do you want from me?"

"I want nothing from you but only you.", she answered. Severus was lost for words. Surely he had hoped but never expected her to still love him after all he had done.

"Minerva…"

"No, stop. I don't want to hear your 'but's and 'if's and all that. I don't want my job, my reputation any longer, not without you. What is my life without you? I can't live with you far away from me. I simply can't. And nobody has the right to take you away from me, you don't, either. I want to stand by your side, want to see you every day and every night, want to feel you, to touch you, to simply love you. Can't you see that, can you? Why not?"

Minerva had said this all very fast and all her breath had gone now. She let herself sink back on the bed and closed her eyes for she was dizzy. Suddenly she felt another weight on the bed and a hand caress her cheek, but her eyes stayed closed.

"If you stay with me, you will never be able to return, Minerva. They will search you as well as me. The flight will be dangerous and I don't want you to be in danger, especially not because of me."

"I know. But I don't let you go, Severus, I don't", she whispered. Surely she understood what he meant but it did't matter to her. She knew the dangers and she knew that she had to surrender her whole life but she would stay with him and that was the only thing, that mattered. Severus only sat next to her and watched her. How he had missed his Minerva. Never had he expected to see her again and never had he hoped for this reaction. But this woman was not an all-day-woman, this woman was Minerva McGonagall and he should have known. So he simply sighed before he laid next to her, closed his eyes as well and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"…Ministry has the opinion that the murder was planned from the beginning on. It all was so obvious. Severus Snape never could murder Professor Albus Dumbledore alone and the Ministry long looked for his companion, now found in the Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, who is missed for two weeks already. "Of course, we thought it had to be someone of the teachers, maybe even someone from the Heads of Houses, but never did we really expect Dumbledore's Deputy. They allways seemed to be friends to the Ministry and to the rest of the world. Quite understandable that she was able to flee…" 

"I told you they would write something like that, Minerva."

"I know." She grinned at him. " Do you know how I feel?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever heard of a couple…mmhhh… let me think, named Bonnie and Clyde? What was the line? 'They're young … they're in love … and they kill people'"

"Minerva, is there something you wanted to tell me? _Kill people_?"

"Of course. V-Voldemort will really get a problem with us, don't you think?"

"I belive Bonnie and Clyde had other things in their mind."

"Yes, but we are not them but the line matches, nevertheless."

_"We're young… we're in love … and we will kill bad people"_

_

* * *

_

Okay, this is the last chapter and it is not the same I had in my mind when I started this. I hope you will not be too angry with me, because of the things about Bonnie and Clyde. I never planned to have them in this story and especially not to bring Minerva to such an idea. But I hope you will tell me what you think about it, nevertheless.

A big thank-you goes to **Slim Shady, kate, Digital Damita and nlifs **(I haven't seen it before with the hat and the hut – thank you for telling me) **for reviewing.**


End file.
